My Sometime
by SoThere
Summary: The day they meet, Katniss decides that she and Peeta are incompatible. Her best friend is in love with his best friend, and that's about all they have in common. In time, she learns to tolerate him, and eventually considers him a friend. But when fate intervenes, they begin to grow closer, and Katniss starts to wonder if maybe she was wrong about their compatibility after all.
1. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

Katniss opens the door to the diner, glad to be in from the cold.

She hates being the last one to arrive, standing like a fool in the foyer, scanning tables for her group of friends. She can feel a sea of eyes looking at her with pity, as though she's been abandoned by everyone who knew her.

"Katniss! Over here!"

Finally she spots Annie, leaning out from a booth in the corner. She's grateful her friend is watching for her, because she never would have found them in that location.

With a sigh of relief she makes her way over to the table. She removes her winter jacket and hangs it on the hook beside the table before sliding in next to Annie.

She looks across the table at the rest of their party. Finnick is sitting in the corner, directly across from Annie, arms up on the back of the booth and a foot up on the seat with his knee flexed. Next to him, clinging to the edge of the seat, primed for a quick getaway, is a boy she's never seen before. He's wearing a leather jacket in an amber hue, a style more suited to a character in a 1970s TV show than a modern 19 year old boy. A deep orange baseball cap sits on his head, the brim pulled low, preventing her from seeing his eyes as he looks down at the table. It also hides his hair, which must be cropped pretty short to be completely covered.

"You must be –"

"Peeta." He looks up finally and meets her eyes. His are shaded a bit by the brim, but she can see they are a deep blue framed by long, golden lashes. "Hi," he says with a small voice, before looking back to the table where his finger is tracing patterns in the condensation on his glass.

Finnick puts his leg down properly and throws an arm around Peeta's shoulders, pulling the boy closer and foiling any escape attempt. "This is Peeta," he repeats, moving his arm around his neck and choking him slightly in the crook of his elbow. "One of my best friends! Well…" Peeta shoves him in the chest, and the two boys straighten up and lean their elbows back on the table. "At this point he's vying for the title of my _only_ best friend; Darius is dangerously close to getting bumped from his post after ditching us tonight."

Katniss has known Darius, Finnick's other best friend, for longer than she's known Finnick. He's a security guard at the hospital where she works most weeknights. There's only one coffee kiosk open at night, and it's located across from the main security desk where Darius is stationed. The friendly redhead would chat with her when she stopped by for a tea, and would offer to walk her to her car when she worked late.

But this is the first time she's met Peeta, even if she has heard a lot about him from Annie and Finnick.

"It's nice to finally meet you," she offers, giving him a small smile.

He looks up for just a moment, holding her eyes in his gaze, but doesn't smile back. He simply says, "Yeah," then goes back to tracing shapes on the table.

Annie does her best to break the tension. "Well, Johanna's on my shit list, too." Johanna was Katniss and Annie's other best friend. For weeks now, Annie and Finnick had been trying to get the three girls and three guys to get together. "She couldn't make it either, so I guess it's just going to be the four of us tonight."

After ordering drinks and a couple of orders of fries for the table, the group starts up a lively conversation about the party Finnick is going to be hosting for New Year's Eve. Peeta stays noticeably silent through the discussion, replying to any questions with a one word answer, and only smiling slightly when Finnick pulls him in for a noogie.

Katniss finds it odd that Peeta's not saying much, especially after Annie had talked him up as a sweet, friendly guy with a gift for small talk. Katniss isn't much good at it herself, so she finds it hard to chat up the relative stranger in front of her.

The topics change again to music and sports, and Katniss and Finnick start on their typical banter. The two have developed a playful competitive streak that comes out whenever they hang out.

"Oh, come on, Kitty Kat. Everyone knows the birthplace of baseball is Cooperstown."

"Wrong!" Katniss raises her eyebrows in triumph. "The first baseball game was actually played in Hoboken, New Jersey."

Finnick rolls his eyes. "Technicality. Fine – what's the birthplace of basketball, smarty pants?"

"Springfield, Massachusetts," she sing-songs. "Hockey?"

Finnick smirks. "Canada. How about football?"

"Well, that depends," Katniss replies. "Do you mean American football? Or international football?"

"Well, that depends," Finnick mimics in a high pitched voice. "Which country are we in again? Because I believe when I played in high school, winning States three years running AND gaining the MVP award, we called it _soccer_."

Peeta chuckles while Annie rolls her eyes at her boyfriend's bragging. Finnick blows her a kiss.

"Did the 'V' in 'MVP' stand for 'Vain'?" Katniss teases.

"Oooh. Touché." Finnick cocks his head admirably. "Alright, that's it, Everdeen," he declares, leaning in close. "You and me. The ultimate battle: staring contest. First one to blink has to bow down to the true victor."

"Oh, you're on, Odair. Someone has to knock you off that pedestal you've climbed onto." They shake hands while Peeta eyes the two of them curiously, giving Katniss a frown before sighing and looking away.

"Now try not to fall in love with me, Katniss. I've been told my eyes are just _magical_."

"I'm right here!" Annie calls out with a laugh.

He blows Annie another kiss before getting in position. "On the count of three. One… two…"

Katniss leans in and braces herself on the table. "Three."

The two stare at each other – Katniss stoically still as a statue, Finnick doing his best to smolder her without blinking. This goes on for a minute until the waitress returns with their fries, setting them on the table in between them. Finnick turns away for just a second at the interruption to give the waitress a wink. "Thank you, darlin'."

"Ha!" Katniss shouts happily.

Finnick groans and puts his head in his hands. "It's not fair! I've got to keep my public happy!"

"Just face it, Odair. I bested you."

"Fine." He looks up and gives her his most charming smile, dimples showing in his cheeks in spots she's never noticed. "You, my dear, are the ultimate victor."

"Thank you-" she starts before Finnick cuts in again.

"But, sweetheart," he purrs with an exaggerated wink. "We all know it's just because you couldn't look away from my beautiful face." He bats his eyelashes at her dramatically, and the two of them share a laugh.

"Ugh." Peeta lets out a disgusted grunt from beside Finnick. "On that note, I think I better find a restroom before I throw up."

Katniss watches as Peeta retreats from the booth. He steadies himself for just a moment, then walks away with a slight limp.

"Well?" Annie's voice pulls her from where she's staring at his retreating figure.

"Well what?"

Annie leans in closer. "What do you think of Peeta?"

Katniss looks between Annie and Finnick, their expressions eager. "He seems… nice enough."

Annie nods, waiting. "And?"

Katniss groans. "I don't know, Annie, okay. He hasn't said two words to me the whole time I've been here! "

"He's shy," Annie explains, looking toward Finnick, who nods. "He's got some self-esteem issues, but when you get to know him, he's just the sweetest guy ever."

"He's the best friend a guy could have," Finnick affirms, "but he just doesn't believe it sometimes. Between his leg and all the crap with his parents…" He doesn't explain further, but Katniss glances at Annie and nods in understanding.

" _So... Finnick's got this best friend, Peeta..."_

 _Annie looked through a rack of scarves, while Katniss followed behind, carrying the bags with a bored expression. She had agreed to suffer through a shopping trip in exchange for some rare one-on-one time with her friend._

 _"He's just the sweetest, funniest guy you'd ever meet. I think the two of you would be perfect for each other!"_

 _Katniss rolled her eyes. Annie had been dating Finnick for a few months now. Was it some kind of law that friends in new relationships always felt obligated to fix you up immediately? Like they felt guilty for being so happy?_

" _There's just this one thing you'd need to know first…" Annie said with some hesitation._

" _What?" Katniss asked, her curiosity piqued._

" _Well… he's only got… one… leg." Annie looked sheepish._

 _Katniss squinted her eyes. She envisioned a boy hobbling around on one foot with a crutch like Tiny Tim, then mentally berated herself for the stereotype. "O…kay."_

 _Annie continued on. "It was a long time ago; he was in an accident when he was really small. He's got a prosthetic but it's just like his real leg. When he wears pants, you can't even tell, and he's only got a hint of a limp most days."_

 _Katniss shrugged, the shock of the information already passed. "Okay, Annie, I get it. That certainly wouldn't stop me from dating anybody. Sheesh, do you really think I'm that shallow?"_

" _No! Of course not." Annie shook her head. "I just thought you should know. It makes him kind of shy around new people. He's very self-conscious about it."_

 _Katniss could imagine it must be hard to be different. "I understand."_

" _No, the whole thing kind of messed him up, physically and emotionally." Annie explained. "His parents didn't want to accept the diagnosis, and they kept bringing in different healers and priests, trying to save his leg. Finnick said his mom stormed out when the doctors finally insisted they had to amputate. She said Peeta didn't pray hard enough."_

 _"What?" Katniss and her own mother had their issues, but she couldn't imagine a parent treating a child like that. Especially when they were going through something so traumatic. "That's awful!"_

 _"I guess his dad made her apologize, but the damage was done. Ever since, Peeta's the kind of guy who never really believes he's good enough, you know?"_

 _Katniss mumbled in agreement as Annie led her off to look at a bin full of colorful socks. She was even less focused on the shopping trip now, thinking instead of a little boy in a hospital bed, trying to save his own leg through sheer will power._

"Annie filled you in." Finnick isn't accusing so much as feeling her out. She can tell he is just trying to protect his best friend.

"Yeah," Katniss admits. "And I don't really care about the leg or any of that. I just can't decide if I like someone based on a few nods and one word answers."

"I'll allow that," Finnick says. "But you wouldn't rule it out?"

Katniss raises her eyebrows. "Finnick, I'm a 19-year-old girl who's never had a boyfriend. I wouldn't rule _anything_ out at this point," she deadpans.

He laughs and reclines into the corner of the booth again, his arm up on the back of the seat. "Fair enough, Everdeen. Fair enough."

A few minutes later, Peeta slides back into his side of the booth. Katniss notices he finally removed the baseball cap, revealing short ashy blond hair cropped close to his head. His eyes flit up to meet hers and in the light she can see they aren't just blue, but flecked with bits of gray and gold. They study each other for just a moment before looking away to focus on the french fries.

After the food has been devoured, Katniss is feeling the effects of her second iced tea, and excuses herself to the bathroom. She studies herself in the mirror while washing her hands. Her outfit is typical for her; a loose flannel shirt over a t-shirt, a pair of jeans, and her long dark hair in a braid. She never really wears much makeup, but she went through the effort of throwing a little mascara on tonight; Annie claims it makes her slate eyes stand out.

As she approaches the booth, she hears her name. Hanging back, she waits to see what they're talking about. She can hear Peeta's voice in earnest; it's the most she's heard from him all night.

"I don't know... For someone so small, she's awfully full of herself. I mean what was all that sports trivia crap? She's kind of a know-it-all."

"Aw man, you know how I like to egg people on. She's just better at dishing it back out than most." She's hurt, but slightly relieved to hear Finnick defending her.

"And she's not all that pretty. She's kind of … plain."

Annie speaks up for her next. "I told you before, Katniss isn't into makeup and clothes and all of that. She's just a real person. What you see is what you get."

"And come on, Peet. 'Not pretty'? Even you can't deny that she's a beautiful girl."

Peeta sighs, but doesn't deny Finnick's comments. "So what if she is? We'd never work, Finn. I don't know why you're pushing it."

"We're not pushing anything, Peeta," Annie insists. "We just thought-"

"Listen, I appreciate it, Annie, but I don't need a pity date from her or anyone else." Peeta's voice softens. "I'm happy for you guys. Really, I am. But I'm not ready for a relationship right now."

"Got it! No relationship. And no pressure," Finnick replies. "We just want our friends to be friends, too. All of us. You, Katniss, Darius, Johanna. There's no reason we can't all hang out sometimes."

Katniss decides she's been lingering long enough and moves into sight of the booth. She slides in next to Annie, refusing to look up at Peeta. His cruel words keep echoing in her head, and she can't seem to keep the scowl off her face as she thinks about it.

The group settles the check and heads out to the parking lot.

"So, anyone up for a game of bowling?" Finnick asks.

Peeta groans. "You know I hate bowling, Finn."

Katniss doesn't even want to entertain the thought of spending more time with Peeta tonight. She pulls her keys from her purse and gives Annie a hug. "Sorry to cut the night short, but I've got to get home. Gotta work in the morning, and I'm kind of beat."

"Are you sure?" Annie whines.

"Yeah." Katniss turns to Peeta, who has been watching her from his spot beside Finnick. "It was nice meeting you."

Peeta closes the distance between them and holds out his hand. After a moment's hesitation, she puts her smaller hand in his. She's relieved when he grips it firmly; she hates a limp handshake. His hand is warm and strong, and squeezes hers slightly.

"It was nice meeting you, too, Katniss."

As their hands separate, his fingers graze hers lightly. They're calloused, but there's a softness to his touch.

Katniss laughs Finnick off when he tries to hug her and tells Annie she'll call her later. She climbs into her car and adjusts the mirrors, catching sight of Peeta gazing in her direction as Finnick talks animatedly.

As she drives away, she thinks about the handshake and how oddly intimate it had felt. But she also can't help but replay Peeta's long silences, clipped replies, and cruel comments.

No matter what Annie and Finnick think, Katniss knows they are wrong: she and Peeta Mellark are _anything_ but perfect for each other.


	2. Driving in Neutral

_Happy Valentine's day everyone! Thanks for reading. :)_

* * *

Katniss watches her reflection as she plaits her dark hair into a long braid. She's glad her fingers are occupied, but still her stomach flips nervously.

Why did she ever agree to this?

"Katniss?" Prim's fingers creep around the door and pull it open wider. "Peeta's on the phone," she says, indicating the handset clutched against her chest.

Katniss studies her sister with a frown. "I didn't even hear it ring."

"Yeah," Prim says, wrinkling her nose guiltily. "I was on the phone with Rue. Call waiting."

Katniss rolls her eyes and reaches for the phone. At sixteen, Prim's only option to talk to her friends is on the shared house phone. But with a social life that would rival a celebrity's, she tends to tie the line up from morning to night.

"Oh-" Prim pops her head back into the room before retreating. "You won't be too long, will you? Rue kinda wants me to call her back when you're done."

"I'll be quick, Prim. Now _go_ ," Katniss replies, tossing a pillow at the door.

"Thanks!" she hears her call from the hallway.

With a sigh, Katniss puts the handset to her ear. No, she will definitely _not_ be long. Conversations with Peeta never last more than two minutes. And this is the first time they've ever spoken on the phone. It's guaranteed to be brief.

"Hello?" she says.

"Hi. Katniss? This is Peeta." His voice sounds deeper through the phone, a soft rumble in her ear.

"I know," she replies. "Prim told me."

"Oh. Right. Sorry."

"It's fine."

"Anyway," he says, clearing his throat, "I just wanted to let you know I'm on my way over."

"Okay," she replies.

"So, I'll be there in about 15 minutes."

"Okay," she says again.

"Okay," he repeats. "I'll see you soon."

"See you soon," she replies, listening to the click of the receiver on the other end.

Wow. A whopping thirty seconds. That must be a new record.

"Prim?" she calls down the hall. Prim comes bounding out of her room, reaching for the phone happily.

Katniss hands it over then heads back into her room to finish getting ready, consoling herself that an hour from now, this will all be over.

* * *

"Mrs. Everdeen," Peeta says in greeting, extending a hand to her mother. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Peeta Mellark."

Lila Everdeen hesitates before accepting his hand shake. "Peeta. It's nice to finally meet you," she replies.

He nods, shoving his hands in his jeans pockets and looking between the two women patiently. Katniss is glad Prim is still upstairs on the phone. She'd no doubt start chatting away with Peeta and delay this awkward experience even longer.

"Why don't we get going?" she suggests. He nods again, and moves quickly to hold the front door open ahead of her.

As they walk out onto the steps, Katniss eyes Peeta's car warily – a large, red sedan built sometime in the 1970s. Finnick often teases him about it, saying it's more suited for the ocean than the road.

"Sorry," Peeta says, and she realizes she's been scowling. "I know it's not much to look at, but it's reliable. No air conditioning, though."

"It's fine," she replies, shaking her head. "Anything's got to be better than mine." Silently, Katniss curses her powder blue lemon sitting beside them in the driveway. If it wasn't for its recent engine problems, she wouldn't be stuck in this situation.

Peeta moves quickly ahead and opens the passenger door for her. She gives him a huff but gets in anyway, sliding onto the large bench seat. "You know, you don't have to keep holding doors for me, Peeta. I'm a big girl. I can do it myself."

"It's good manners," he says, closing the door and leaning his hands on the open window. "I'm sorry. It's just how I was raised."

 _Always trying to show me up,_ she thinks grumpily as he walks around to the driver's side. She fiddles with her seatbelt, trying not to watch him carefully climb in, adjusting his prosthetic once inside.

"So, you know how to get there?" she asks.

"Yeah, Finnick and I drove up a couple times last week to drop off boxes. It's a little confusing at first, but I've got the hang of it now."

"And it's how far away?"

"Took me about… 40 minutes? 'Course, it takes Finnick barely 20," he adds with a disapproving frown. "But he drives like an idiot." He glances down to check Katniss' seat belt buckle then turns the key, the engine starting with a roar.

* * *

They drive along in silence for a while, Peeta navigating out of her neighborhood and onto roads she doesn't recognize. Eventually he clears his throat and glances in her direction. "Please give my apologies to Primrose-"

"Prim," Katniss interrupts. "No one calls her Primrose except our principal, Sister Mary."

"Prim," he corrects with a slight nod.

"Apologies for what?" Katniss asks. "Interrupting her phone call?"

He glances at her, his eyes squinted slightly, before turning them to the road again. "No, I… I thought she was you when she answered the phone earlier. You all sound so much alike, and I… I got confused."

Katniss shakes her head and looks out the window at the trees whizzing by. "There's no need for apologies. That happens all the time. Don't even worry about it."

"I interrupted her phone call?" he asks after a moment.

"Yeah," she answers, waving a hand dismissively. "But she's _always_ on the phone. It's her own fault."

"Well, still. Please let her know I was sorry."

 _This boy loves to apologize._ "There's no need. But, if you insist."

"Thank you."

"Sure."

It's quiet for a moment in the car. Things are probably only going to get more uncomfortable, so Katniss decides to get all the formalities out of the way now.

"And also… thank you for giving me a ride today. I know Annie twisted your arm."

"You're welcome," he answers. "But actually, I volunteered."

Now she's confused; Annie gave her the impression that it was _her_ idea.

"You volunteered?" she asks.

"Yeah. When Annie said you might not be able to come today, I offered to pick you up."

For some reason, this annoys her even more than Annie instigating it. When they first met, she and Peeta shared a mutual dislike for each other. But their best friends are dating, so over the last eight months they've developed the ability to tolerate each other. They attend the same events, exchange pleasantries and generally avoid the other's company. She thought they both liked it that way.

So why is Peeta Mellark suddenly going out of his way to be kind to her?

"I'm sorry," he says, interrupting her thoughts; she must be scowling again. "I just knew how much it meant to Annie that you were there today. I did it for her."

She nods, trying to smooth the scowl from her face. "Well, thank you again," she says begrudgingly. Doing it for her friend's sake makes it a little easier to take, but not completely.

Great. Now Katniss feels like she owes him something. And she _hates_ owing people.

* * *

Now that they're out on the open road, Katniss allows herself to relax. She closes her eyes and lets the breeze from the window wash over her.

"Are you having a nice summer?" Peeta asks.

 _Ugh_. Small talk. She's terrible at small talk.

"Uh, yeah," she replies, opening her eyes. "I guess. It's been hot."

"It has," he agrees. "But it's been cooling off at night. Autumn is right around the corner."

"True," she says. "The summer flew by."

He nods. "Do you go back to school soon?"

"Yeah. Two weeks," she says.

"Are you looking forward to it?"

She considers his question for a moment. Being a commuter, she isn't living the same carefree college experience as the majority of her classmates. Going back to school doesn't mean moving into the dorms or getting ready for the social events; it just means fitting classes and homework into her already busy work schedule.

However, she enjoys her subjects. And she's made a few good friends along the way, including Gale, who she met three years ago as a freshman.

In fact, lately, she's been wondering if maybe there might be something _more_ than friendship developing between her and Gale. A part of her is a little excited for September, when she'll see him more regularly again and can start to figure that out.

"Yeah. I think I am looking forward to it."

"I hated school. Couldn't wait to get out. But I bet you're good at it," Peeta says, a wry smile on his face. "You went to Catholic school, right?"

His question confuses her for a moment until she remembers her comment about Sister Mary. "Oh. Yeah. Thirteen years."

"Wow. I only went for six," he replies.

Katniss looks over at him with raised eyebrows. "St. Cecelia's. From Kindergarten to high school. What about you?"

"St. Stan's. But just until 5th grade. By then my older brothers were getting near college and my parents decided it was too much money." He shrugs.

Katniss nods. "It's expensive," she agrees quietly.

She doesn't add that her father's death was the only reason she was able to stay so long. He passed away when she was in fifth grade and Prim was in first; after, the school administration took pity on them and offered them full scholarships through high school.

"Well, you're lucky you got out when you did," she says, looking to lighten the tension she always feels when thinking of her father. "The religious stuff got heavier and heavier as the years went on."

"Oh, I didn't get away from the religious side of things," he says with a small smile. "I was an altar boy. Part of the youth group. Weekly rosaries. All that stuff."

"Really? I never knew you were so..." She struggles for the right word.

"Devout?" he fills in. "Indoctrinated? _Brainwashed_?"

She laughs uncomfortably. "No, I didn't-"

"I'm just teasing, Katniss," he says with a chuckle. "Personally, I'm not really into the church or any of that stuff. But my parents are. Their faith is very... important to them."

 _So important to them that they'd blame their own son for his lack of faith when he lost his leg_ , she thinks. But she's not supposed to know any of that, so she stays quiet.

"That must be nice," she says. "To be that sure of your beliefs. Most days, I'm not sure what I believe in. After my dad died…" She shrugs and looks out the window again. She certainly isn't close enough to Peeta to confide any of that.

"I know what you mean," Peeta replies. "After my... accident, I started to wonder if there really was a God out there. How could he let something like that happen to me?" He shakes his head. "It was probably selfish to think like that."

"I don't think that's selfish at all," Katniss says as she watches him. His eyes shift to glance at her quickly but he keeps his head aimed at the road.

"I don't know. Even now," he continues, "I look around the world, at so much pain and suffering... people dying in pointless wars… children starving to death, right here in our own country… Sometimes I just wonder what the point of it all is," he adds quietly, his knuckles white as they grip the steering wheel.

She's not sure how to respond, and honestly she's a little taken aback seeing this side of Peeta. Whenever the group hangs out, Peeta tends to keep to himself, letting Finnick or Darius dominate the conversation, never really expressing his own thoughts. She didn't know he had all this inside him.

He turns onto another road, a windy hillside route with no other cars in sight. "Enough about that deep stuff," he says, his shoulders relaxing a bit. "How about something more basic?"

"Basic?" she asks.

"Yeah. Like... what's your favorite color?"

"What?" she chuckles.

"We've still got a bit of a ride. Unless there's something else you wanted to talk about?"

 _No_ , she decides. 'Favorite colors' is probably a nice, safe conversation compared to these other topics.

"Uh, green," she replies. "Like the forest." Her attention is drawn again to the hillside out her window, the rocks and pine trees feeling familiar to her even though this town is foreign.

"That's nice. Mine is orange."

"Orange?" she asks. "Like that traffic cone?"

"No," he laughs. "Deeper. The color of sunset. Almost red."

"Is that why you picked this car?"

He laughs again and shakes his head. "No. I didn't pick this car. It was a… gift."

"Oh." Katniss knew Peeta's family had more money than hers; they probably didn't think twice about buying him a car, especially one as old as this one.

"Well, not really a gift," he clarifies. "More like… a bribe. From my uncle."

"The one you work for? The carpenter?"

"Yeah," he says. They've stopped at a red light, and she turns to find him facing her, his blue eyes studying her curiously. "My uncle, Haymitch... I didn't realize you knew that."

"We're friends," she says with a shrug, even though they both know it's not really true. Yes, they're acquaintances in the same group of friends, but that's where it ends. The two of them have never had a real friendship or discussed their personal lives.

But apparently, she has not been as oblivious to him as she imagined.

When a horn sounds behind them, he turns his focus back to the road and continues on through the green light.

"I was always afraid of learning to drive. Because of my leg," he adds quietly.

His cheeks and ears flush a dull pink at this admission. She knows this is not a comfortable subject for him; he rarely talks about his leg with anyone, including Finnick. He keeps it hidden at all times, wearing long pants even on days like today when the weather is stifling.

"When I turned eighteen and still didn't have my license, Haymitch and I made a deal. He was tired of having to cart me around all the time, so he offered to get me a car if I got my license. So I finally did."

"Well, you're doing fine," she offers. "You're definitely a better driver than Finnick."

He smiles. "Thank you," he says, "but that's not much to brag about. Almost _anyone_ is a better driver than Finnick."

"True," she says with a chuckle.

She watches the scenery, waiting for Peeta to ask another question, but it doesn't come. Instead, he switches the radio to another station and turns it up slightly.

"Do you mind classic rock?" he asks.

"No, it's fine," she replies, listening to the heavy strings of the guitar in the ballad Peeta selected. It's not something she would normally choose on her own, but something about the song reminds her of her father, of warm weekends spent in the garage, watching him tinker with their car.

She puts her hand out the window and watches it float on the air. She finds herself singing along quietly with the tune, her hand moving up and down with the rhythm.

They pause at a stop sign, and she stops singing when the sudden lack of wind causes her voice to carry louder than she intended. She sits up slightly and glances in Peeta's direction, embarrassed. She catches his eyes trained on her, only to quickly flit away.

"Sorry," she says, watching his jaw clench. "I sing in the car. Sometimes I don't even realize I'm doing it. Drives my sister crazy."

He doesn't look at her again, just shakes his head and continues through the intersection. "Don't be sorry. It was nice."

Still, he turns the music down a little lower. She stays quiet for the rest of the trip.

* * *

As time passes, Katniss almost finds herself wishing Peeta would ask another question. The awkward silence that's settled over the two of them is becoming uncomfortable, and she's counting down the minutes until they arrive.

Finally, Peeta turns into the parking lot of a large apartment complex. There are several gray buildings surrounding the lot, each two stories high with bright red doors labeled for each unit. Katniss searches the doors for D-4, the unit Annie and Finnick are renting.

"It's over there," Peeta says, drawing her attention to the building on their left. As they get out of the car, a door opens to reveal Annie, smiling and waving enthusiastically.

"Katniss! I'm so glad you're here!" Annie pulls her into a hug as soon as they reach the stoop. "Can you believe we have our own place?"

The truth is, she _can't_ believe it. Annie and Finnick have had a whirlwind romance from day one, but sometimes it all seems too fast for practical Katniss. To meet, start dating, fall in love, and move in with someone, all in the span of one year? It's beyond her realm of understanding.

But Annie is her best friend, and blissfully happy. That's all that really matters.

"Hi, Peeta," Annie says, releasing Katniss and giving him a quick hug in welcome. "C'mon," she says, hooking her arm through Katniss's and leading her into the apartment. "Finnick's inside trying to hang a curtain in the living room. And I need some help figuring out which drawer to use for silverware and which one to use for spatulas. There are only two to choose from, so it shouldn't be too hard."

Katniss chuckles as the pair walk inside, Peeta trailing behind them.

"Dude! And dudette!" Finnick calls out from his step ladder, arms spread wide. "Welcome to my castle!"

"More like your department store window if you don't fix that curtain," Annie adds with a smile. "I don't need all the neighbors looking in on us as we watch Law and Order on that lumpy couch."

"Ah, my love. There will be more than television watching happening on that lumpy couch," Finnick replies with a wink. "But have no fear; your king has saved the day." He adjusts a pole above the window and slides a curtain across to cover it.

With a flourish, he jumps down off the ladder and lands at their feet. "Katniss," he says, giving her a small peck on the cheek. He gets down on one knee dramatically and takes Annie's hand in his own. "My queen," he adds, pulling her hand to his mouth and kissing her gently on the knuckles. "Your castle is secure."

Annie laughs and rolls her eyes, her cheeks flushed and smile bright. She yanks on Finnick's hand until he stands again and plants a tender kiss on his lips. "Thank you, my king," she says quietly. Finnick's eyes dance with happiness, and Katniss has the sudden feeling she is intruding on a very private moment.

"Ahem. Well," Finnick says, glancing around behind him. "Peet! What are you doing over there?"

Katniss looks behind her to see that Peeta has stopped in the entry way, hands in his pockets, leaning against the wall. He's been watching the three of them, but hasn't made any move to join them.

Peeta shrugs his shoulders, but Finnick doesn't give him a moment to answer. "Annie and I are both starving. I heard there's a pretty good pizza place up the road, so we ordered a pie. Our treat." He puts an arm around Peeta's neck and runs his knuckles across his head. "You and me are gonna go get it while the girls finish the kitchen. Deal?"

Peeta can only nod and straighten out of the bear hug before Finnick is talking again. "So, you want to drive? Or me?"

" _I'll_ drive," Peeta answers before Finnick can interject again. "I'm not ready to get in a car with you yet. Not after last time."

"Hey! They didn't even give me a ticket!" Finnick says, holding his hands up in mock surrender.

"That's only because you flashed your Marine badge at the last minute," Peeta replies, cocking an eyebrow in challenge.

Finnick just cackles and grabs his wallet from the counter. "Hey, sometimes being in the reserves has its advantages." He grabs a lone key off the counter and twists the lock on the open front door's handle. "We'll be back soon. I'm locking the door so I can practice opening it up again."

Annie laughs as Finnick runs toward Peeta's car, leaping over the hedges near the sidewalk. Peeta just sighs and shakes his head.

"Do you need anything else while we're out, Annie?"

"No, thank you, Peeta. We should be all set."

"Okay then." He turns back to Katniss, acknowledging her for the first time since they arrived. "Did you need anything, Katniss?"

"No," she replies. "Thank you, though."

He gives her a slight nod and smiles at Annie before pulling the door closed behind him.

Katniss stares at the door for a moment, wondering how things got so cold again so fast. Finally she just shakes her head and turns to face Annie. "Okay. Where do we start?"

Annie is studying her, her eyes scanning her face as though she is trying to solve a puzzle. "How was the ride up with Peeta? It wasn't so bad, was it?"

"No," Katniss admits. "It was fine. He can be pretty friendly. When he wants to be."

"He's a good guy," Annie says, and Katniss just nods. She's got nothing more to say about Peeta Mellark. They aren't friends, she reminds herself. They're just two people running in the same circles. Nothing more.

When Katniss refuses to elaborate, Annie seems to take the hint. "Okay. Kitchen. While we put these pots away, you can tell me some more about this Handsome Gale you always seem to mention. I need to soak in the girl talk before you leave me here to live with a _boy_." She mock shudders and heads into the kitchen area.

"Sure," Katniss laughs. She follows her friend and throws herself into the work, happy to have the subject changed. It's easier to stay busy than to try to understand the mystery that is Peeta Mellark.

Besides, some mysteries just aren't meant to be solved.


	3. Games We Play

"We're getting married!"

Normally, a phone call this late in the evening would be met with a grumble and some choice words. But Katniss makes an exception when she hears Annie's voice on the other end of the line. Her excitement is palpable, even across hundreds of miles.

"Annie… Wow." Katniss sits up straighter in bed. "That's amazing. Congratulations! How'd it happen?"

Katniss is stunned by the news, but not shocked. Annie and Finnick are young, but no one would ever question their love for one another. She is calm and introverted; he's a wild bundle of energy, always ready with a joke. Yet together, they balance each other. He brings her joy and laughter, and she brings him peace and stability.

They also have a mutual love of the ocean. It's from their first seaside trip together that Annie is calling.

"It's so beautiful here. We spent the whole day at the beach, swimming, napping, just soaking in the salt and sun. We stayed until the beaches cleared out and took a walk at sunset. Out of nowhere, he got down on one knee and proposed. I still can't believe it!"

"That's really great, Annie."

"Thanks, Katniss. I know we're young, and it's fast, but I love him so much. When it's right, you just have to go with it. You know?"

"Plus, she couldn't resist these beautiful biceps!" Finnick shouts in the background. "Who could say no to these pythons?"

"Ha! Tell Finn I'll be happy to humble him in another arm wrestling contest when you get back. Now that he's family, I'm not going to go easy on him anymore!"

Annie laughs at the banter. Finnick and Katniss have developed a playful relationship that involves a heavy amount of flirting on his end, and a crazy competitive streak on her end. She quickly became attached to him when he and Annie started dating. In many ways, he's like the big brother she never had.

"And I want you to be my maid of honor, Kat, and Johanna to be my bridesmaid. It'll be a small wedding party; just the six of us. Of course, Finn can't choose between the boys, so he's going to have two best men. But I'll let you pick your partner first, and Jo can have the other one."

"Uh … okay," Katniss mumbles in between Annie's rambling. 'The boys' are Finnick's two best friends since high school, Darius and Peeta, and frankly the thought of being paired with either one of them is fine with her. She'd rather Annie just pick.

Annie giggles happily. "I'm sorry, Katniss! I know it's late, but I'm just so excited. I had to call you. You're my best friend!"

Katniss can't help but smile at her friend's sincerity. "Oh, Annie. I'm so happy for you. And I'm honored to be your maid of honor. We'll have to make plans when you guys get back."

"How about tomorrow night?" Annie asks. "We get home in the morning. I want the six of us to get together and celebrate as soon as possible!"

"Sure," Katniss agrees. "Now get back to your _fiancé_ before he finds a mirror and gets distracted."

"Hey, I heard that!" Finnick shouts over Annie's laughter.

* * *

Getting up the next morning is rough, but Katniss has an early class she can't be late for. After hitting the snooze button twice, she throws back the covers with a groan and heads for the shower.

Standing under the warm spray, she closes her eyes and tries to clear her mind. Sleep eluded her the night before, and she still can't settle her thoughts this morning. She laid in bed for hours, her mind racing with both excitement and … something else. Sadness? She supposes it's only natural to feel a little sad; she's known Annie since they were in diapers, and like it or not, everything is going to change once she's married.

Deep down, she's happy for her friend. Okay… maybe she feels a _little_ jealous; a little left behind. She's never even had a boyfriend, and here her best friend is getting married. She's only 20, but most days she waffles between feeling a hundred years old and wondering when her life is going to begin.

Katniss throws her hair into a quick braid and dresses in her standard wardrobe: jeans and a t-shirt. Now that the snow has finally melted and the weather is warming up, her favorite flannel shirt takes the place of a bulky winter coat. She grabs her bag and keys from the kitchen and gets on the road to University of Panem.

After finding a spot in the commuter parking lot, she starts the trek across campus to the Engineering building. She's in her junior year of a Civil Engineering degree, and this morning starts off with Structural Design. It isn't her favorite class, but at least she has Gale there to distract her.

"Hey, Catnip." Gale is already saddled up in his usual seat at the back of the class, legs stretched out and feet perched on the back of the chair in front of him. "How's life?"

Katniss slides into the desk to his left, carefully removing her books from her bag before shoving it under her chair. "Oh, you know. Life's fine."

She leans over to dig a pencil out of her bag, getting a better look at him when she straightens up. A giant coffee sits on one corner of his desk, and there are dark shadows under his eyes. "How about you? You working the night shift again?"

"Yep," he says, scrubbing a hand over his face. "No rest for the wicked. Or anyone from the Seam."

Her stomach sinks at the tone in his voice. She hopes Gale isn't in one of his moods this morning; he has a fiery temper and a love for debating social issues. He and Katniss see eye to eye on most subjects, but he leans more toward the side of extremism than she does. While she normally enjoys the playful banter, her mind is still clouded by Annie's news and a lack of sleep. She just isn't up for it today.

"Sorry to hear that," she replies, avoiding eye contact. Sometimes, just a lingering look is all the encouragement he needs to start in on a rant. "Posy must miss your puppet shows."

Gale chuckles, the mention of his youngest sister enough to soften his mood. "That was _one_ time," he maintains, shaking his head. "Damn. You never forget anything, do you, Everdeen?"

Her cheeks flush at his deep timbre. There's a hint of admiration there; or at least, she _thinks_ there is, somewhere under the playful annoyance. Flirting is not her strong suit, and she spends much of their interactions trying to decode the subtext.

"I have a remarkable memory," she agrees. "I remember, for example, that you were supposed to bring me that book for our research project last week." She raises an eyebrow, waiting for the anticipated groan from the man beside her.

"Shit, I'm sorry, Catnip. I totally forgot. All these late nights and early mornings… I'm all turned around."

"It's fine-"

"No, it's not," he insists. "When you say you'll do something, you do it. I'm sorry. I'll bring it in tomorrow, okay?"

Katniss nods and gives him a smile, the intensity in his voice silencing her again.

"Oh man," Gale says as he sits up straighter. "I can't believe I almost forgot to ask you..."

Katniss is relieved to feel the mood lighten. "What?"

"Is your mom Lila Bronson?" he asks, a sly grin on his face.

Katniss starts at the familiar name. "She _was_ Lila Bronson, until she married my dad. How-"

"My mom is Hazelle Rosetti. Well, Hazelle Rosetti Hawthorne."

"No way!" Katniss recognizes the name of her mother's high school best friend. She knows the story well: when Lila fell head-over-heels in love with David Everdeen, she drifted away from her best friend and lost touch. Katniss can always tell by the wistful tone in her mother's voice that this is something she regrets.

Love is still a mystery to Katniss, and she's wary of an emotion that could make you forget everything else in your life. To forget your friends, forget your own _children_ , even, when that love was taken away? It seems a dangerous game to play.

"Yeah," Gale says with a laugh. "I was talking about you the other day, and she asked-"

"Wait - you were talking about me?" Her cheeks flush. He talks about her outside of class? To his _mother_ of all people? What does that mean? "What…. Why?"

"Oh don't get all paranoid on me, Catnip. My cousin had a baby, named it some trendy thing like Emma or Ella or something… I don't know. But I was saying how I had a friend with a unique name, and as soon as she heard your last name, she put two and two together." Gale shrugs. "She had some old pictures of the two of them, and as soon as I saw them, I knew she was your mother. You look just like her."

Katniss scoffs. She looks nothing like her mother, the beautiful blond with creamy skin and sparkling blue eyes, everything about her curvy and feminine. In contrast, Katniss is all sharp angles and flat plains. Nothing special. "No. My sister, Prim, looks just like our mom. I look more like my dad did."

Gale's smiles at her sympathetically; the two share the pain of losing their fathers too young. "Maybe on the surface, but you look more like your mother than you realize. Anyone paying attention can see it."

Katniss feels her face flush yet again under his watchful gaze. She rarely felt anyone was paying attention to her. Was he?

"Ughhh. I hate mornings," whines a nearby voice. "Why do they insist on holding classes at this ungodly hour?"

Their attention is drawn to the vibrant woman plopping herself in the seat in front of Gale. Madge's blond hair is gathered in a messy bun on top of her head and despite the dim lighting in the classroom, her eyes are covered by large plastic-rimmed sunglasses. She's wearing a wrinkled blue t-shirt and black yoga pants that have seen better days, but even with her disheveled appearance, she's a vision of careless beauty.

"Aww, sorry sweetheart. Did a long night of shopping wear you out? Or were you up late painting your nails?" There's a sharp edge to Gale's tone, but Katniss would swear there's a bit of playful teasing there, too.

"Wouldn't you like to know what I was doing last night," she replies, turning and lowering her sunglasses to toss a coy look in his direction. She gives Katniss a kind smile before turning to face the front of the room again.

Katniss watches Gale gaze at Madge, a soft look of wonder on his face. He seems to be fighting off the smile curving at his lips. Katniss is sure he never looks at _her_ like that. Now she's second guessing everything again.

Finally he pulls his attention back to her, just as the professor walks into the room. "Sorry Catnip, what we were we talking about?"

"Nothing," she says, shaking her head casually, keeping her focus on the professor. _Nothing at all._

* * *

"Man, I can't believe you're getting married. You're only 21!" Darius shakes his head and takes a sip from his milkshake. "I knew you were crazy, but this is _insane_."

"Crazy in _love_ ," Finnick says dramatically, then plants a big kiss on Annie's lips. She's sitting in his lap, the six of them wedged into a corner booth in the diner.

Peeta rolls his eyes from his spot beside them and glances across the table at Katniss, giving her a small smile before turning his attention back to his mug of hot chocolate.

"Oh, gag me Odair," Johanna groans, grabbing a french fry from the basket in the center of the table.

"It's not like we're going to get married right away," Annie says. She's beaming, and hasn't taken her eyes off Finnick all night. Katniss is sure she's never seen her so happy. "Maybe next summer, when we've saved some money. Finn's starting a new job next week."

"Activities Manager, at the Sunshine Nursing Home," he adds proudly. "I'm going to be in charge of planning events, bringing in service dogs. Even teaching water aerobics. Those old ladies love me in my speedo." He wags his eyebrows and attacks Annie's neck with kisses as she giggles happily.

"Oh my _god_ , will you two quit it!? There are children in this restaurant!" Johanna slumps down in her booth. "Are they always like this?" she asks Darius. He just nods.

"Sunshine?" Peeta interrupts. "That place is almost an hour away."

"Half an hour, if you know how to drive," Finnick replies mischievously.

"Which apparently you don't," Peeta says, deadpan. "Those signs on the highway are the _maximum_ speed you're supposed to go, Finn. Not the minimum."

"Aww, Peety. Always worried about me. You're sweet." Finnick leans over and pinches Peeta's cheek before being batted away.

Darius sucks at the last bit of foam through his straw, then pulls his wallet from his pocket.

"Hey. What are you doing, man?" Finnick asks. "You aren't leaving?"

"I've got an early shift tomorrow," Darius explained. "And I figured, we're all done here-"

"No," Finnick says. "It's only 10! Come back to our place. All of you," he adds, looking at the weary faces around the table. "C'mon, we just got _engaged_. We want to celebrate a little longer."

Darius sighs. "I don't know, Finn. I'm really tired."

"Please?" Finnick begs, his face resembling a child who's just been told Christmas was cancelled.

Darius looks at Peeta, then Jo and Katniss. Each shrugs in acceptance, waiting for his response. Finally he groans. "Fine. But only for a couple of hours."

"Yeah!" Finnick exclaims happily. "Thanks guys. You won't regret this." He looks back at Annie and the two lean in for a slow passionate kiss.

"Ugh. I already do," Johanna says.

* * *

"You want one?" Finnick asks, holding out a beer to Peeta, who's sitting on the couch by himself.

"No, I'm all set."

Finnick surveys the rest of the room. They've been hanging out in the apartment for half an hour now, and the group has naturally segregated themselves. Annie, Katniss and Jo are standing near the kitchen, chatting. Darius is on the recliner, shoes and coat still on.

"Hey, why don't we play Spin the Bottle?" Finnick suggests.

"Hell yeah. I'm in!" Johanna says. She's the first to complain that their hangouts can be boring, so her eager response doesn't surprise Katniss.

" _Spin the Bottle?_ " Darius says with a laugh. "What are you, thirteen? You just got _engaged_ and you want to play Spin the Bottle?"

"Aww, are you afwaid of a wittle kissing, Darry?"

"Don't call me that, Finn," Darius says, standing up. "And no, I'm not _afraid_. I thought your fiance might not appreciate you kissing other people the night after you pledged to be _committed to her for life_."

He glances at Annie who simply shrugs. "I don't mind. We're all friends here. It's just a game. If you guys are in, so am I."

Everyone glances at Peeta then; if anyone is the voice of reason in this group, it's him. But he just shrugs like Annie.

"All right!" Finnick says, clapping his hands gleefully. He moves the coffee table against the wall and takes one last swig of his beer before placing the bottle in the center of the floor. He arranges the friends in a circle on the carpet, alternating the boys and girls.

Katniss crouches on the floor and takes her spot, trying to mask her nerves. She's never kissed anyone before - not a real kiss, anyway, just pecks on the cheek from family members. She doesn't want to make a fool of herself by doing it wrong.

Then again, she also can't deny the excitement of finally seeing what all the fuss is about.

Finnick spins first, the wobbling bottle circling a few times before landing directly on Peeta.

"Peet!" Finnick rises up on his knees and rapidly crosses the circle to where Peeta sits cross legged, a confused expression on his face. Before he can object, Finnick grabs his face and pulls him in for a dramatic smack on the lips.

Peeta wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. "God, Finn. Slobber much?"

"I'm sorry, Peety. Let me try to do a better job," Finn insists, moving in again, but Peeta gives him a shove.

"Yeah, I'm all set. Thanks anyway."

Finn hoots and moves back to his spot in the circle. "Okay, Lover Boy. Your turn."

Peeta climbs carefully to his knees and crawls slowly over to the center. Katniss wonders if it hurts his leg, moving like this. His hand shakes slightly as he takes hold of the bottle and gives it a gentle spin.

Katniss watches as the bottle slowly comes to a stop pointing at her knees. She looks up to find Peeta staring at her, his blue eyes wide, waiting for her reaction. She subconsciously licks her lips and catches his eyes flit down to her mouth then back up again.

"You don't-" he says hoarsely, but she shakes her head.

"It's just a game, right?" she says.

She crawls in to meet him at the center of the circle, not wanting him to risk hurting his leg by coming to her. She rises up on her knees until their faces are flush. He must have abandoned his baseball cap at the beginning of the game, leaving wisps of his cropped blond hair wild and unruly. This time it's Peeta that licks his lips, and she notices they're slightly chapped.

They both pause, frozen in the moment as they study each other until Finn breaks the silence from his spot in the circle. "Go for it, Peet!"

Peeta barely moves, giving Finn a brief scowl from the corner of his eyes before locking eyes with Katniss once again. She can sense him waiting for her to make the first move, so she leans forward, prompting him to finally do the same. Her heart is pounding, and the way he's staring at her is making her even more nervous, so she closes her eyes and presses forward until they meet.

Parting her lips slightly, she makes contact with his lower lip and sucks it gently between her own. The kiss is sweet and brief; his mouth is warm and pliable, but completely still, and eventually she realizes that she's the one doing all the kissing. After a moment, she pulls back with a soft pop of their skin as they separate.

She opens her eyes again to find him frozen just as he was when they started, staring at her with a dazed expression. His face is ruddier than she remembered, and she can feel her own cheeks warming under his serious gaze. _Was it that bad?_

"Nice!" Finnick calls. "I give it an... 8. Your turn to spin, Katniss."

Peeta comes out of his trance and frowns at Finn before looking back at Katniss. "Um. Thank you," he says formally. "For … that."

"You're … welcome," she says, the exchange feeling more like a business transaction than a kiss. She watches as he crawls back to his spot, then picks up the bottle with a sigh and spins again.

This time, the bottle lands back on Finnick, who is positively giddy as he slinks across the circle to meet her. He takes charge of the moment, grabbing her face with both hands and tipping her head on an angle. Before she can react, he moves in, his wide mouth covering her own completely. She is almost sure she feels his tongue poking at her briefly before he releases her with a flourish.

He licks his lips and winks at her seductively. "Now _that_ was an 11. Am I right?"

Katniss just raises an eyebrow and wipes her face with the back of her hand as Peeta had. "Maybe. On a scale of 1 to 100."

Finnick groans as the rest of the group laughs at his expense. Katniss gives him a triumphant smile and heads back to her spot to resume the game.

The group continues to play for a while, and before long, Katniss has kissed everyone - including Annie and Johanna - at least twice. But when Darius spins and lands on Finnick, who starts crawling forward seductively again, Darius jumps to his feet. "Alright. That's it. I'm out of here."

"Oh, come on, Dar!" Finnick says with a pout.

"Nah. I'm all done with this game. Besides, I told you, I have to work in the morning." He nods toward Johanna and Katniss, who take advantage of his exit to get up and stretch their legs, and gives Annie a pat on the head as he walks by.

"Fine, but wait a minute. Peet and I will walk you out. I wanted to get that movie from you." Finnick reaches down and grabs both of Peeta's hands, helping him carefully to a stand. Peeta puts his baseball cap back on and follows the other two men outside.

"Did you still want to borrow my boots?" Annie asks Johanna who nods eagerly. The two women are nearly the same size and always exchanging clothes. "C'mon, they're in my room." The three of them walk through the kitchen toward the bedroom, but Katniss stops halfway through the hall.

"I'm going to use the bathroom first," Katniss says, heading into the apartment's only bathroom, a tiny space adjacent to the kitchen.

When she's done and washed her hands, she looks at herself in the oval mirror above the sink. In the dim lighting, she sees nothing special reflecting back. Gray eyes, olive skin, little makeup. She thinks back to the first time she met Peeta, when he called her plain and not so pretty; she can't help but agree with the assessment.

"So? What'd you think?" Finnick's voice drifts in through the hollow wooden door.

She hears the kitchen sink turn on and then off again. "About what?" Peeta asks.

"How was your first kiss?"

" _Wet_. I told you man, you're disgusting."

"Not me," Finnick says with a laugh. Katniss hears what sounds like a towel snapping against flesh. "Katniss, right? She was your first, wasn't she?"

"Yeah," Peeta says, his voice lowering. "It was… nice. She has really soft lips, doesn't she?"

"I noticed that, too," Finnick says. "I think the right would would be _supple_."

Peeta laughs. "I guess."

"See," Finnick says. "I told you I'd take care of you. Now you can't say you've never kissed anyone."

"Okay, you were right. It was a nice kiss. But you'll always be my first, Finny."

She hears Peeta making loud kissing sounds, and the pair scuffle outside for a few minutes. She can picture Finnick locking Peeta in a headlock as he so often does, followed by Peeta escaping through one of his classic wrestling moves.

"Johanna was a pretty good, too, wasn't she?" Finnick asks when the grappling quiets.

"Yeah, she was okay, I guess."

"But not like _Katniss_?" Finnick teases.

"Oh, shut up, man," Peeta says, annoyed. "It didn't mean anything. It was just a game."

"Okay, okay-"

"Now where'd I leave my keys? My mom will kill me if I miss curfew again."

Katniss waits until the two are safely in the living room before slipping down the hall to the bedroom. By the time she arrives, Johanna has already commandeered two pairs of boots, three shirts and a dress.

"What took you so long?" Annie asks, comparing a scarf to the dress Johanna is holding. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," Katniss answers, her mind racing with the conversation she just heard. "I'm just really tired. I think I'm going to head out."

"Okay," Annie says, though she's clearly disappointed. She drops the scarf on the bed and gives Katniss a hug. "I'll walk you out-"

"No, you guys finish up," Katniss insists. "I'll be fine."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Annie asks, studying her suspiciously.

"I'm really okay! I had an early class today, and I'm ready to crash. Honest. Call me this weekend and we can start talking wedding plans."

This seems to cheer Annie up, and she pulls her in for another hug. "Don't forget, you've got to pick which of the boys you want to partner with in the wedding."

"Hey! Why don't I get to pick?" Johanna protests.

"Sorry, Jo. I've known Katniss longer. But, you get to take my boots!" Annie offers hopefully.

Johanna considers this for a minute. "True," she says with a nod.

Katniss waves her goodbyes and heads through the empty living room to the parking lot. Finnick is shaking Peeta's hand on the sidewalk, though it looks more like the two are actually in some sort of cro-magnon strength contest.

"Agh!" Finnick finally says, shaking his hand in the air. "You win again. Damn, Mellark."

"Goodnight, guys," Katniss says, drawing their attention.

"You heading out, too, Katniss?" Finnick asks.

"Yeah, it's time."

"Bye, Kitty." He pulls her into a bear hug, his breath still smelling faintly of cheap beer. "Thanks for indulging my little game back there," he says as he pulls away with a cocky grin. "You have very supple lips."

She sees Peeta stiffen slightly beside him, but she just rolls her eyes good-naturedly. "Whatever, Odair. You better go sleep this off before you hallucinate some more."

She adjusts her bag on her arm and turns to face Peeta with a smile. "Good night, Peeta."

He steps forward and reaches out his hand, just like the first night they met. She puts her hand in his, the warm grip as firm as she remembers. "Good night, Katniss. Drive safely."

She nods, gives both men another smile and heads toward her car.

The long drive home has become an annoyingly familiar one, since she visits Finnick and Annie at least once a week. But tonight, she's grateful for the extra time in the car. TIme to mull over everything that happened tonight.

She got her first kiss. And her second, and third. None of them were anything special, but it was nice just to cross that off her list.

Apparently, Peeta had his first kiss, tonight, too. She's not sure why this surprises her as much as it does. He's awfully shy, and very particular about who he trusts enough to let in. Still, she didn't expect they'd have that in common.

And of course, she's got the matter of picking between Darius and Peeta to be her partner at Annie and Finnick's upcoming wedding. It's not an urgent decision, but according to Annie, it will determine who she has to dance at least one song with at the reception, so she wants to make the right choice.

Letting out a sigh, Katniss turns up the radio. Kissing and weddings are just offshoots of that dangerous topic: love. It's fine to slip into those thoughts for a little while, but she can't afford to live in a fantasy world. She's got homework to do, then class in the morning and work tomorrow night. It's time she gets back to focusing on what really matters in life: survival.


	4. Growing Up, Growing Apart

The numbers swirl on the page. Katniss rubs her eyes, trying to regroup. After resting for a few minutes, she picks up her pencil and attacks the test with renewed focus.

"How do you think you did?" Gale asks as they leave the classroom. He shifts his backpack higher on his shoulder and falls in step beside her, down the hall and into the stairwell.

"I passed," Katniss says as she navigates the rush of students. "But I don't know if I'll keep my A average."

"You always say that, and you always ace it," Gale says, heading toward the exit. He pauses for a moment, holding the door as he waits for Katniss to catch up. "You'll do fine. You're brilliant."

"I'm not. But thanks," Katniss says, an embarrassed flush rising to her cheeks. Now that they're out in the sunshine, Gale slows his stride down to a pace she can actually keep up with.

"You done for the day?" he asks.

"Yeah. You?"

She plays along, but she already knows the answer. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays they share their last class of the day, a brutal Stats course. And every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Gale walks her to her car after class, chats with her for twenty minutes about whatever subject is on his mind, then heads to his gray pickup before taking off in a cloud of dust.

Today is clearly no exception. Gale reaches her small hatchback first, reclining back against the trunk and crossing his feet at the ankles.

"Yeah, I'm done. But I might run over to the library," he says. "I've got the weekend off for a change, so I'm gonna get all my studying in now so I can actually enjoy it." He nods his head toward her. "You got any plans this weekend?"

Katniss shrugs. As usual, her weekend plans consist of a combination of working and studying. She has plans Sunday night with Annie, Finnick and the rest of the crew, but otherwise, her evenings are free. "Not much," she replies, curious where his question is leading. "Any suggestions?"

"I was just thinking, the state fair starts this weekend. Do you like to go?"

Her stomach twists as she tries to interpret his meaning. Is he just making conversation? Or is he possibly interested in going with her?

"Yeah, I love the fair. We used to go every year with my father." He gives her a sympathetic smile.

She doesn't elaborate. She doesn't tell him that her mother never shared her father's love of the fair. That it was an annual tradition with just his two girls, eating cotton candy, riding the ferris wheel, and leaving the grounds with dozens of stuffed animals won in the archery booth. Or how, for years after her father's death, she couldn't bear to go back.

She knows by now she has to tread carefully with Gale. The line between _sharing_ and _oversharing_ is much too thin. If she starts to ramble on, boring him with the deep stuff, he starts to pull back. That's just how their relationship works.

"I haven't been in years," he says. "Since I was a kid. But I don't know, I was thinking I might check it out again this year."

He studies her for a moment, and Katniss waits for the inevitable question. But it never comes.

"Oh, I almost forgot," he says instead, reaching for his bag. "My mom asked me to give you this - to give back to your mom. It really helped Posy." He hands her a small bottle, a remedy her mother had let Hazelle borrow.

"Uh, sure," Katniss replies, quickly shifting gears. "But aren't they getting together again in a few weeks?"

"Yeah, they are. She just didn't want to wait that long to return it."

"I'm glad." Katniss has been so grateful that their mothers rekindled their lost friendship earlier this year. It's given her mother an outlet - and a smile - she's been missing for years. "How's Posy feeling now?"

But Gale doesn't answer. His gaze has drifted across the parking lot, and when it stays focused away for longer than a beat, Katniss follows his line of sight. Based on the nearly empty campus, she's pretty sure he's checking out the mini skirts on the pair of freshmen walking by.

She waits for his attention to return, and when it doesn't, she scowls at the back of his head. "Seriously, Gale?"

He looks back at her reluctantly. "Huh?"

"Could you be any more obvious?"

"About what?"

Now he's just playing dumb. "We were just having a conversation! A pair of skirts walk by, and suddenly you turn into a drooling zombie."

"It's not my fault," he says with a shrug. "I'm a red-blooded American man. I can't help but look! It's my animal instinct."

"Oh, you're an animal now?"

"Aren't we all really? The way people hurt and kill each other - we're no different than a bunch of animals in the jungle."

"Sure! You can't control yourself at all! It's a miracle you're able to focus on your classes as well as you do. Or your job." She scoffs. "Come on. There's a world full of things to 'look at', but somehow you manage to pay attention when it really matters."

"Ohhh," Gale says, a twinkle in his eye. "I get it."

She gives him another scowl. "What?"

"You're jealous."

"Oh - my - _what?!_ " she shrieks.

"You're jealous because I was looking at other girls."

Her blood is boiling now. "Don't flatter yourself, Gale. I'm not jealous, I'm pissed. You were being rude. We were talking and you totally lost interest when something prettier walked by."

"See, you're worried that I think they're _prettier_."

"Arggh!" Katniss shoves him, making him lose his balance from where he's perched on her bumper. She unlocks the driver side door and throws her backpack into the car, stopping short from getting in when Gale grabs her arm.

"Hey, Catnip, wait. Don't go." She shrugs her arm from his grip and he lets go instantly, holding his hands up in front of his chest. "I should apologize."

She says nothing, but folds her arms in front of her chest and waits.

"I'm sorry I ignored you." She raises her eyebrows until Gale continues. "And I'm sorry for turning it around and saying you were jealous. That was wrong."

"Thank you."

"I just love teasing you about that women's lib stuff. You get all... fired up."

She rolls her eyes. "Whatever, Gale."

"Hey. Are we cool?" he asks, and for a second she sees genuine concern in his gray eyes.

"We're fine," she says, gentler.

"Good." He pauses, and Katniss finds herself in another of those moments that she can't seem to decipher. "Well. Have a good weekend."

"Yeah. You, too." As Gale walks away, she climbs into her car and starts the engine. She adjusts her bag on the floor and is fixing her seat belt when she's surprised by a tapping on her window. Gale's back.

Katniss opens the window. "What's up?"

"I, uh -" He leans his large frame down so he can meet her eyes, resting his hands on the open window. "Just for the record, they weren't prettier than you." He nods, then straightens back to his full height, walking away again before she can respond. "See you next week!" he shouts over his shoulder, then disappears between the cars.

Katniss rolls the window back up, gripping the steering wheel until her knuckles turn white. She closes her eyes and growls into the empty car.

* * *

"Thanks again for helping me, Katniss."

"I told you, it's really not a big deal." Katniss follows Annie down another aisle. "I didn't have anything else going on tonight, anyway."

After leaving a confounding Gale at school, Katniss got a call from a Annie, asking if she could help her look for a birthday gift for Peeta.

"He hasn't been himself lately," Annie says, picking up a Star Wars mug before shaking her head and putting it back on the shelf. "He seems so down… I figured it was a good excuse to break our no-gifts rule. We can give it to him Sunday when we're all together."

Katniss wonders what Annie means about Peeta being down, but doesn't press her for details. "Won't Finn be jealous?" The night was to be a dual celebration; Finn's birthday was a few days after Peeta's.

"No. He'll be getting _his_ gift after all of you leave." Annie gives Katniss a wry smile.

"Ugh. TMI," Katniss says with a shudder. She walks down the aisle, scanning the shelves. "What did you have in mind for Peeta?"

Annie flips through a display of posters. "Nothing big. I just wanted to get him a little… something. Maybe a t-shirt? Or something to brighten up his room."

"What about a lava lamp?" Katniss suggests, glancing at a display at the end of the aisle.

"Hmm." Annie perks up and heads toward the shelves. "Fun, but not too expensive, which is good. He gets so uncomfortable when people spend money on him."

"Plus it goes with that whole retro thing he's got going on," Katniss adds. "His car, that old leather jacket..."

"You're right. I think it's perfect," Annie says. She scans the shelf and reaches for a box with a turquoise and black lamp on the front.

"Mmm…" Katniss wrinkles her nose. "Not that one," she says, earning a frown from Annie.

"Why not?"

"He loves orange," Katniss says, moving boxes around to find a different lamp marked with hues of orange and red. She holds it out to an unconvinced Annie.

"Are you sure?" Annie asks.

"Yeah. It's his favorite color. He told me once." She shrugs and Annie raises her eyebrows in surprise but doesn't challenge.

"Orange it is."

The girls check out and decide to head to a nearby restaurant to split a sundae. Katniss takes the opportunity to fill Annie in on her latest frustrations with Gale.

"Wait, so he said: 'What are you doing this weekend?' and 'Do you like the fair?' And then - _nothing_?"

"Yup. I thought for sure he was going to ask me out, but I guess I was just reading into things too much," Katniss says, swiping her spoon through the hot fudge.

"I don't know," Annie says, squinting. "Tell me that part about the girls' skirts again."

Katniss recounts the whole story, right up to where Gale leaned into her car and his cryptic statements about enjoying her 'fire.'

"So, he called you pretty," Annie says.

"Well, not exactly. He said the girls 'weren't prettier' than me. Whatever the hell that means."

"It means he thinks _you're_ pretty." Annie takes the last spoonful of ice cream. "He clearly likes you."

"I don't know," Katniss says, shaking her head. "If he liked me, wouldn't he have asked me out? It was the perfect opening."

"Maybe he was scared. You can be intimidating." Katniss scowls at Annie fiercely, earning a laugh. "Well there's definitely _something_ going on there. He doesn't have a girlfriend, right? And you guys are so close."

"Not really. I mean - yeah, when we're on campus, we're a team; he always wants to partner up with me in class, walks me to my car -"

"See!" Annie says.

"But once class is over, all bets are off. He has my number, but we almost never talk or text after school. If he wants to tell me something, he just waits until the next class we have together. I think he's perfectly happy the way things are."

Annie frowns sympathetically.

"Whatever. I'm done trying to figure him out," Katniss says, sitting back with a sigh. "There's no room in my life for boy drama. I've got enough stress in my life balancing work and school."

"And me!" Annie adds.

"And you," Katniss laughs. She glances at her phone. "I should get going. I've got an early shift tomorrow."

"Okay."

The two settle the check and walk to their cars. "I'll wrap Peeta's gift," Annie says, giving Katniss a hug. "I can't wait to see his face when we surprise him!"

* * *

"What the hell is this?"

Katniss is pretty sure the look on Peeta's face is _not_ the one Annie was hoping for. His blue eyes are dark and wary as he frowns at the wrapped box in Annie's hand.

"It's nothing," Annie says, rolling her eyes. "Just a small birthday gift." She pushes it toward him again. "For you."

"We don't do birthday gifts," Peeta says, jumping up from the couch. "We all agreed - no gifts. Finn-"

"Peet, don't get all huffy," Finn says, walking out of the small kitchen and handing Katniss a glass of water. "Are you going to hurt my girl's feelings now?" he asks as he puts his arm around Annie protectively.

"No, but - I didn't get you a gift for your birthday, Annie. You shouldn't have gotten me anything. You're supposed to be saving money for the wedding."

"It's not from me!" Annie insists. "It's from all of us. And it's a super small gift, I promise."

Peeta looks around at each of his friends. Darius nods seriously to confirm, but Johanna just chuckles. "Dude, it's really nothing," she says. "You know I wouldn't spend more than 5 bucks on any of you losers. I've got to keep up my wardrobe."

Peeta's gaze finally lands on Katniss, who sits on the floor near the couch. She smiles. "Happy birthday, Peeta."

He studies her for a minute before finally accepting the box from Annie and taking his seat on the couch again. "Thank you," he says quietly.

"Thank us _after_ you open it," Annie says, sitting next to Katniss.

Peeta handles the box almost reverently, pulling at the tape gently and removing the wrapping paper in one full sheet. A slow smile pulls at his lips as he studies the picture on the box. "A lava lamp?" he says, shaking his head. "I've always wanted one of these."

Katniss feels herself smiling at the awed look on his face.

"Plug it in," Annie says. "Get the full effect."

Peeta opens the box and plugs the lamp into the extension cord beside the couch. Annie switches off the table lamp to bathe the room in a warm orange glow.

"It's even my favorite color," he says.

"You were right!" Annie says to Katniss.

Peeta looks down at Katniss in surprise. "You remembered that?"

Katniss shrugs. "Of course. Who could forget a crazy favorite color like orange?"

He gives her a sad smile. "Lots of people, believe it or not."

"You know, this is actually the perfect mood lighting for another game of Spin the Bottle! Who's in?" Finn suggests, drawing a death glare from Peeta.

"Uh-uh. No way," Darius says, standing up and switching the table lamp back on. "I told you I'm done with that shit. Now let's have cake so I can get home for my beauty sleep. Some of us have to work in the morning."

"You guys suck," Finn says, but heads to the kitchen to find a knife. Annie and the others follow.

Katniss stands to join them, but is stopped by Peeta's hand on her elbow. "Hey, thank you. For thinking of me. For remembering. It's one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me."

"Please. It was nothing," she dismisses with a chuckle. It's such a ridiculous gift; surely he's joking.

But Peeta's face is serious, with no hint of humor. "No. It wasn't."

"Well. I'm glad you like it," she answers softly, growing anxious under his steady gaze. He's attributing far too much weight to the gesture. "Anyway, it was Annie's idea. She deserves all the credit."

He nods and drops his gaze to the floor. "Yeah. Okay." He glances again at the lamp on the table, then gestures toward the kitchen. "C'mon. You don't want to miss out on the cake. Darius looked pretty hungry."

Katniss laughs. They walk down the short hall and join the group around the small kitchen table. "I still can't believe you made your own birthday cake, Peeta. There should be a rule against that."

"What can I say? I like to bake."

Annie places a half-melted candle in the center of a beautiful two-layer cake decorated with tiny carrots.

"Carrot cake?!" Katniss's eyes widen happily as she remembers a similar one he baked in early summer, for her and Johanna's joint birthday celebration. It was spicy and dense, studded with plenty of raisins and nuts. "My favorite."

Just before the group breaks out in an off-key round of 'Happy Birthday', she hears Peeta murmur, "I know."

* * *

"What the hell, Finn!"

Annie and Katniss are sitting at the kitchen table chatting when Peeta storms in from the living room. He heads for the sink and attempts to wash what looks like a blob of frosting from his ear.

Finn follows behind him, laughing. "Oh, man, Peet - the look on your face-" He doubles over, laughing even harder.

"I can't believe you!" Peeta shouts. "When are you going to grow up?!"

Turning off the water, Peeta attempts to rip a paper towel off a roll near the sink, but sends the rest of roll unraveling to the floor in the process. Annie gets up to try to catch it but misses.

"Sorry, Annie," Peeta says, his voice softening slightly.

"I'm onto something," Finnick says, straightening but holding an arm across his stomach. "A twist on the Wet Willy… What do you think? A Frosted Freddy? A Creamy Craig?"

Peeta just glares at him, drying his hands with a paper towel.

"Oh, come on man. That's funny!"

"No," Peeta says, throwing the paper towel on the counter. "It's _not_ funny, Finn. Just like it isn't funny when you grab my junk when I'm driving on the highway. Or when you took off and left me at the 7-Eleven last week, just when I was about to get in the car."

"That was hilarious! Darius was practically pissing himself in the back seat."

"I had to walk a mile back to the apartment!"

"It's barely half a-" Finn stops short at the murderous look Peeta's giving him.

"I think I'm done," Peeta says.

Finnick's shoulders relax. "Good, I hate fighting with-"

"No. I mean I'm _done_. With this." Peeta waves his arm out between the two of them. "Maybe it's best if we take a break."

"A break?" Finnick throws his arm over Peeta's shoulder. "Aww. Are we dating now, Peety?" he asks seductively.

"I'm serious, Finn," Peeta says, shrugging out from his grip. "Maybe it's time we take a break from hanging out so much."

"This isn't just about frosting, is it?" Finnick asks, the smile sliding off his face.

"No. Not totally." Peeta sighs. "I drive out here - three, four nights a week - and follow you along on whatever childish adventures you've got planned. And then I have to race back home, barely making my curfew." He glances pointedly at the clock on the microwave; it's after midnight.

"You've never had a problem with our late nights before," Finnick accuses.

Peeta rubs his face and groans. "We're not in school anymore, Finn! I start work at sunrise, six days a week. You're working full-time at the nursing home. We're both exhausted! Half the time, I come over and you end up falling asleep on the couch anyway." Finnick shrugs. "We can't keep doing this."

"You're serious, aren't you?"

"Yeah. I am."

Finnick looks around for support. Annie puts a hand on his arm, but says nothing. Katniss looks uncomfortably between the two men. She's seen them fight before, but never like this.

Finnick chases his worried expression away with an almost convincing smirk. "Whatever. You can say what you want, Peet. But you know - deep down - that you always have a great time when we hang out. You'll be calling me up in a day or two, begging to get out of that house again."

Peeta looks away and puts his hands in his pockets. "Yeah. We'll see."

An awkward silence falls over the kitchen. Finally, Peeta clears his throat. "Well. I should get going." He gives Finnick a nod, then wraps Annie in a quick hug. "Thanks again for everything, Annie." He glances over Annie's shoulder, his eyes seeking out Katniss. "You too, Katniss."

"Sure. Happy birthday again," Katniss says softly.

Peeta grabs his baseball hat from the table and twists it in his hands. "I'll see you later," he says, then walks back down the hall toward the front door.

Annie looks helplessly at Finnick, who shakes his head before going into their bedroom and closing the door. "Wait, Peeta," Annie calls, running down the hall to the living room. "Don't forget your gift. And your cake!"

Katniss stays in her seat at the table. She can barely make out low voices from the other room, then the sound of a door closing. Annie comes back into the kitchen and sits down with a sigh.

"He didn't want the cake. He said you should take it home for Prim." She rubs her hands across her face. "This isn't good."

"Maybe Finn is right," Katniss offers hopefully. "Maybe Peeta just needs a good night's sleep and this will all blow over."

"Yeah. Maybe." Annie frowns. "I don't know. I've never seen Peeta this upset before."

Katniss thinks back over the last few months. The group has developed a routine of hanging out at least once a week, but as soon as one of them backs out, the plans seem to evaporate. If Peeta is prepared to cut Finnick off, where does that leave the rest of them?

"Well," Annie says, forcing a smile to her face. "I'm sure he'll come around soon enough. We're going to start planning the wedding soon, and he's already agreed to be one of Finnick's Best Men."

"Definitely," Katniss says, trying to be positive for her friend's sake.

Secretly though, she wonders if the argument is bigger than Annie realizes. Peeta's pretty stubborn, and tends to stick to something when he says it. Maybe even a wedding isn't enough to fix this fight.

* * *

 _I'm still around, working on my stories ever so slowly when real life allows. Thank you so much for reading!_


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